Constitutional Design Civics Class- IX Chapter-3 NCERT Textbook solution Question 1 - Here are some false statements. Identify the mi...
Constitutional Design
Civics Class- IXChapter-3 NCERT Textbook solution
Question 1 - Here are some false statements. Identify the mistake in each case and rewrite these correctly based on what you have read in this chapter.
( a) Leaders of the freedom movement had an open mind about whether the country should be democratic or not after independence.
Ans: Leaders of the freedom movement had a consensus that after independence, India will be a democratic nation.
(b) Members of the Constituent Assembly of India held the same views on all provisions of the Constitution.
Ans: Members of the constituent assembly of India held the same views on the basic principles of the Constitution. They had different ideas on all provisions of the Constitution. They arrived at a solution only after long discussions and debates and a consensus was reached.
(c) A country that has a constitution must be a democracy.
Ans: A country that is a democratic country must have a Constitution.It is not necessary that a country having a constitution must be a democracy.
(d) Constitution cannot be amended because it is the supreme law of a country.
Ans: A Constitution can be amended with time and the needs of the citizens.
Question 2 - Which of these was the most salient underlying conflict in the making of a democratic constitution in South Africa:
(a) Between South Africa and its neighbours.
(b) Between men and women.
(c) Between the white majority and the black minority.
(d) Between the coloured minority and the black majority.
Ans: (d) Between the coloured minority and the black majority.
Question 3 - Which of these is a provision that a democratic constitution does not have?
(a) Powers of the head of the state.
(b) Name of the head of the state
(c) Powers of the legislature
(d) Name of the country
Ans: (b) Name of the head of the state
Question 4 - Match the following leaders with their roles in the making of the Constitution:
Nehru
(a) Motilal Nehru (i) President of the Constituent Assembly
(b) B.R. Ambedkar (ii) Member of the Constituent Assembly
(c) Rajendra Prasad (iii) Chairman of the Drafting Committee
(d) Sarojini Naidu (iv) Prepared a Constitution for India in 1928
Ans: (a) -(iv), (b) -(iii), (c) -(i), (d) -(ii)
Question 5 - Read again the extracts from Nehru's speech Tryst with Destiny' and answer the following:
(a) Why did Nehru use the expression "not wholly or in full measure" in the first sentence?
Ans: The expression 'not wholly or in full measure' in the first sentence was used by Jawahar Lal Nehru because he thought that the task they had undertaken was incomplete and it wasn't possible to fulfill the pledges all at once, he wanted it to be a gradual process.
(b) What pledge did he want the makers of the Indian Constitution to take?
Ans: He wanted makers of the Indian constitution to take a pledge of dedication to the service of India and her people.
(c) "The ambition of the gre man of our generation has been to wipe every tear from every eye". Who was he referring to?
Ans: He was referring to Mahatma Gandhi.
Question 6- Here are some of the guiding values of the Constitution and their meaning. Rewrite them by matching them correctly.
(a) Sovereign (i) Government will not favour any religion
(b) Republic (ii) People have the supreme right to make decisions.
(c) Fraternity. (iii) Head of the state is an elected person
(d) Secular (iv) People should live like brothers and sisters
Ans: (a) Sovereign - people have the supreme right to make decisions.
(b) Republic - head of the state is an elected person
(c) Fraternity - people should live like brothers and sisters
(d) Secular - Government will not favour any religion
Question 7 - A friend from Nepal has written you a letter describing the political situation there. Many political parties are opposing the rule of the king. Some of them say that the existing constitution given by the monarch can be amended to allow more powers to elected representatives. Others are demanding a new Constituent Assembly to write a republican constitution. Reply to your friend giving your opinions on the subject.
Do yourself
Question 8 - Here are different opinions about what made India a democracy. How much importance would you give to each of these factors?
(a) Democracy in India is a gift of the British rulers. We received training to work with representative legislative institutions under the British rule.
Ans: I wouldn't say that democracy was a gift given by them. Indians had to struggle a lot and make many sacrifices to attain freedom from British rule. These circumstances helped people to gain experience and training in the working of the legislative institutions.
(b) Freedom Struggle challenged the colonial exploitation and denial of different freedoms to Indians. Free India could not be anything but democratic.
Ans: Yes, Free India could not be anything but democratic because we had already suffered a lot under the British rule. This made us realise that for people to have a say in ruling the country, it was necessary to make India a democratic country.
(c) We were lucky to have leaders who had democratic convictions.The denial of democracy in several other newly independent countries shows the important role of these leaders.
Ans: It is indeed true that we were lucky to have leaders who had deep democratic values. It is because of these ideals that India's freedom struggle can be considered as the only example of a bloodless freedom struggle in contemporary history. Therefore, absence of such ideals has made many countries undemocratic.
Question 9 - Read the following extract from conduct book for 'married women', published in 1912.
'God has made the female species delicate and fragile both physically and emotionally, pitiably incapable of self-defence. They are destined thus by God to remain in male protection-of father, husband and son - all their lives. Women should, therefore, not despair, but feel obliged that they can dedicate themselves to the service of men'.
Do you think the values expressed in this para reflected the values underlying our constitution? Or does this go against the constitutional values?
Ans: The values expressed in this para are totally contradictory to the values underlying our constitution. Women here are treated as weak, our constitution gives fundamental rights to each of its citizens regardless of gender, caste, sex, place of birth and religion.
Question 10 - Read the following statements about a constitution. Give reasons why each of these is true or not true.
(a) The authority of the rules of the constitution is the same as that of any other law.
Ans: Not true, the Constitution describes in detail how the government is elected, their powers. rights of citizens and their protection. This law is very much different from any other law.
(b) Constitution lays down how different organs of the government will be formed.
Ans: True, the Constitution has laid down the framework for the government formation. The constitution decided the legislature, executive and judiciary role and powers.
(c) Rights of citizens and limits on the power of the government are laid down in the constitution.
Ans: True, the rights of the citizens are laid down in the Constitution as fundamental rights, which are enforceable by law.
(d) A constitution is about institutions, not about values.
Ans: Not true, the Constitution contains values which the institutions have to promote.Our preamble states about values.
I hope this will help you.
Don't hesitate to ask (comment) any question or give any suggestion.
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